Legends Podcast

Director Christopher Nolan made his mark in the mid-2000s with Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, starring Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne. But between these two blockbusters, Nolan and Bale teamed up on another project, an adaptation of Christopher Priest's 1995 epistolary novel about two rival magicians in late 1800s England, with Hugh Jackman playing Bale's frenemy. In the mix are Michael Caine, Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Piper Perabo, and Andy Serkis, with David Bowie appearing as inventor Nikola Tesla. The modestly budgeted film successfully wowed audiences, earning over $100 million at the box office, and it scored Oscar noms for Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography. Now we're watching very closely to see if The Prestige still holds up twenty years later. Or, perhaps, its tricks no longer fool us… because you either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. Oh, no! Wrong movie! Abra-cadabra!   ITHACON 49 is Saturday, April 25th, and Sunday, April 26th, at Ithaca C

We're hitting the road with actors Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon (playing fictionalized versions of themselves) to the North of England. Exploring the immortal poetry of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Wordsworth, and ABBA, the film combines gastro-tourism, mid-life crises, impressions, song, and more impressions in a road-trip odd couple buddy comedy that somehow always keeps its foot on the laugh track. (Okay, it doesn't actually have a laugh track, but you get the joke.) Originally a 6-episode TV series, director Michael Winterbottom recut the largely improvised scenes into a movie, which hit 89% on Rotten Tomatoes and has led to further excursions to Italy, Spain, and Greece, with a fifth outing on the way. Now buckle up and unbutton your trousers for the next course as we tuck into The Trip!   ITHACON 49 is Saturday, April 25th, and Sunday, April 26th, at Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY! Tickets available at ITHACON.org    For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com    You can find us on iTunes under ''Legen

Legends Podcast is heading to Korea for Netflix's most successful original release ever! Based on - holy moley - this is an original I.P.?! It's not a comic or video game? Wow! Based on an original idea by co-director Maggie Kang, this 2025 film from Sony Pictures Animation centers on an all-girl trio of K-pop superstars who also happen to be their generation's protectors from an ever-present invasion of demons from the underworld. Uniting the world in song, these K-pop demon hunters headlined the most-watched original title in Netflix history, leading to the widest release by number of theaters for a Netflix film, and the first Netflix flick to top the box office in the United States. The soundtrack was the first to have four songs in the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time, and the film brought home the Golden Globe and Academy Awards for Best Original Song and Best Animated Feature. Now we're k-ashing in on the k-phenomenon that is KPop Demon Hunters!   For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek

Court is in session on this 2001 Reese Witherspoon star vehicle, based on the book by Amanda Brown, who channeled her own real-life experiences as a blonde Stanford law student into a book that sparked a studio bidding war. Reese Witherspoon faced her own struggles landing the lead role after being typecast as Tracy Flick from Election. However, with her turn as Elle Woods, a fashion-forward Harvard Law student who proves that beauty and brains can go together, Reese Witherspoon found a breakout role and theatergoers found an instant classic. It's not just Reese Witherspoon; also with her are Luke Wilson, Jennifer Coolidge, Selma Blair, Ali Larter, Holland Taylor, and Victor Garber. Opening with just a $20 million first weekend, the film directed by Robert Luketic went on to earn $142 million at the global box office as a sleeper hit. This strong precedent has led to sequel, a Broadway musical, a reality TV show about casting the musical, a direct-to-video spin-off, and now there's an Amazon prequel series, E

Today on LEGENDS PODCAST, we're diving into a visually driven, dialogue-free sci-fi story set entirely to Daft Punk's Discovery. Directed by Leiji Matsumoto, it's a masterclass in music-led storytelling and stylized world-building. Quick note—our guy Lobster is out this episode, holding it down at South by Southwest. We'll carry on without him. Let's get into Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem! ONE MORE TIME!!! For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com    You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsPodcast or even better, send us an e-mail: LegendsPodcastS@gmail.com    You can write to Rum Daddy directly: rumdaddylegends@gmail.com    You can find all our contact information here on the Network page of GonnaGeek.com Our complete archive is always available at www.legendspodcast.com, www.legendspodcast.libsyn.com    Show Music:Danger Storm by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Cr

We're dropping our first listener pick of 2026, and it comes from twenty-five years ago, courtesy of Listener Bryan. In 2001, actor-turned-director Peter Howitt released his sophomore film (following 1998's Sliding Doors), a techno-thriller with a hot young cast including Ryan Phillippe, Claire Forlani, and Rachael Leigh Cook. In the film, tech mogul Gary Winston (played by Tim Robbins) aims to revolutionize global communication, but he might be literally killing the competition to get there. The film boasts set designs by Catherine Hardwicke and a rocking score by Don Davis, but it just didn't click with audiences. So while the film itself crashed at the box office upon release in January 2001, it did set Listener Bryan on his course towards a career in tech. In an age when giant software companies still rule our lives - and spy on us - does a film about a giant software company spying on and ruling lives still ring true? Or does Antitrust belong in the Recycle Bin? LINKS FOR NEXT WEEK's Movie  https://www

Aspiring screenwriter Max Frye wrote a spec script in film school about a straitlaced yuppie's "best worst night ever," which his agent later told him would be perfect for either Martin Scorsese or Jonathan Demme to direct. Since Scorsese was busy on another "yuppie's best worst night ever" movie, After Hours, Demme ended up getting the nod. Demme cast Jeff Daniels as the yuppie Charlie Driggs, with Melanie Griffith as the proto-Manic Pixie Dream Girl Lulu, who sweeps him up for a weekend that starts with sex and ends in terror at the hands of her jealous ex, played by Ray Liotta. This sex-comedy/thriller mashup boasts a fantastic soundtrack and character actor cameos galore, but is the fun worth the hangover? Join us as we get outside our comfort zones with Something Wild!   For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com    You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsPodcast or even better, send us an e-mail: Lege

Nineteen Seventy-Six. America's bicentennial was a great year for cinema, with films like A Star is Born, King Kong, All the President's Men, Carrie, and The Omen heating up the box office, and instant classics Rocky and Network earning the most accolades. After a six-decade career in the director's chair, Alfred Hitchcock released his last film, Family Plot, around the same time that an up-and-coming young director by the name of Martin Scorsese released his breakout hit, the fifth film of his budding career. Centered on a disillusioned New York cabbie played by Robert De Niro, this rain-and-neon-soaked meditation on summer in the city proved to be a defining outing by both actor and director. With a cast including Cybill Shephard, Albert Brooks, Peter Boyle, Harvey Keitel, and a very young Jodie Foster, the film racked up awards, including the Palme d'Or at Cannes and four nominations at the Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor for De Niro, and Best Supporting Actress for Foster. Despite contr

One of the breakout hits of 2016 was this based-on-a-true-story tale of the first manned missions to outer space. Focusing on the black women at NASA - mathematicians, engineers, and computers - who made these early spaceflights a reality through sheer brainpower while often going unrecognized for their contributions, Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe star in this adaptation of Margot Lee Shetterly's book. Director Theodore Melfi chose Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, Mahershala Ali, Aldis Hodge, and Glen Powell to round out the cast in this Best Picture Oscar nominee. But does too much melodrama subtract from the sum of this inspirational biopic? In honor of Black History Month, we're doing the math to see if all the accolades tallied by Hidden Figures still add up ten years after release.   For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com    You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsP

Nineteen Eighty-Three was a great year for cinema. Scarface. The Big Chill. The Outsiders. Risky Business. The Right Stuff. Videodrome. Return of the Jedi. And to represent the year he was born, Lobster picked… this movie. Based on their breakout characters from the sketch comedy show SCTV, Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis star as Canadian brothers Bob and Doug McKenzie in this take (off, eh?) on Hamlet. Something is rotten in Ontario at the Elsinore Brewery, and it isn't just about live mice in the bottles - there's also the nefarious plans of Max Von Sydow's Brewmeister Smith. Bob and Doug try to get to the bottom of the issue, and to the bottoms of many, many bottles of beer in this cult classic, which The Globe and Mail named as one of the best Canadian comedy films ever made. Now us hoseheads are taking off to the Great White North to sample Strange Brew! Beauty, eh?   For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com    You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive r

Director Guillermo del Toro has been making movies about monsters his entire career, from Mimic to Hellboy to Pan's Labyrinth to The Shape of Water. His most recent film, an adaptation of Mary Shelley's ultimate monster story from 1818, is the culmination of del Toro's long-held dream to breathe new life into his favorite novel and film subject. Drawing inspiration from John Milton, Bernie Wrightson's classic designs, and the Hammer Horror films, del Toro was ready to throw the switch on the project with Universal Pictures, until the studio's "Dark Universe" project proved dead on arrival. Now, at Netflix, del Toro's creature feature is alive… ALIVE!... once more. Starring Oscar Issac as the doctor and Jacob Elordi as the creature, the film includes Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, Charles Dance, and Lars Mikkelsen, and it was recently nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture. But does this reanimated cinematic assemblage deserve to walk the halls of streaming entertainment? Or is it more "ponderou

In 2017, Hugh Jackman led an ensemble cast in a musical based on the life of circus ringmaster P.T. Barnum, which proved to be a smash hit at the box office. Co-starring Zac Effron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, Paul Sparks, and including Zendaya, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Keala Settle, Sam Humphrey, Eric Anderson, and Natasha Liu Bordizzo as members of Barnum's freakshow, with songs by Benji Pasek and Justin Paul, this film directed by Michael Gracey earned multiple awards and nominations, including a Grammy for its soundtrack. However, critics were mixed, praising its music and production, but roasting the film's historical revisionism and melodramatic approach. With a stage musical coming to the West End later this year, will our hosts decide that the greatest show on Earth is The Greatest Showman? Or would we rather run away to join the circus than have to watch it again?   For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com    You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us

Legends Podcast starts the year with another Jim Carrey-led picture. This time, instead of stealing Christmas, Carrey plays Truman Burbank, the most famous actor in the world, and star of his own 24/7 television show, watched and beloved by millions. He just doesn't know it. Directed by Christoff (Ed Harris), this show has been on the air since Truman was born, with a whole cast of characters,  from his wife (Laura Linney) to his best friend (Noah Emmerich), supporting the charade. But when Truman begins to suspect the ruse, will he learn the truth and reunite with his lost love? Or will Peter Weir's 1998 film prove to be a cautionary tale about reality television? Or both? Join us was we tune in to The Truman Show!   For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com    You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsPodcast or even better, send us an e-mail: LegendsPodcastS@gmail.com   WE HAVE 4 NEW EMAILS! Thank You All

It's finally time! The Legends Movie Draft is back! We're picking an all-new slate of films to review this year, including classics and new releases, and we're upping the difficulty by adding new categories. We'll be making picks for fan-favorites like Aug-Heist, Legends of Halloween, and Chronovember, along with Movie Mash-Ups and movies from the year our hosts were born. But Legends aren't born, they're drafted, so get out your Big Board and follow along at home. It's the Legends 2026 Movie Draft!   ******* Next week: we stare at Jim Carrey through hidden cameras with THE TRUMAN SHOW!  ********** For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com    You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsPodcast or even better, send us an e-mail: LegendsPodcastS@gmail.com    You can write to Rum Daddy directly: rumdaddylegends@gmail.com    You can find all our contact information here on the Network page of GonnaGeek.com Our com

Happy New Year! Rum Daddy is on Injured Reserve this week, so we're stalling the 2026 Movie Draft until next week. Get those picks in! Meanwhile, Rita, Beef, and Lobster recap the 2025 Draft, talk winners and losers, and name the MVP - Most Valuable Pick! We also catch up on listener emails and discuss what we're looking forward to in 2026! Finally, we preview next week's draft and set the pick order! What more could you want?   For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com    You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsPodcast or even better, send us an e-mail: LegendsPodcastS@gmail.com    You can write to Rum Daddy directly: rumdaddylegends@gmail.com    You can find all our contact information here on the Network page of GonnaGeek.com Our complete archive is always available at www.legendspodcast.com, www.legendspodcast.libsyn.com    Show Music:Danger Storm by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creat

In 1977, Jim Henson, having found success with The Muppet Show, began experimenting with new technology and storytelling styles in the hopes of developing a feature film. Adapting a children's book by Russell Hoban and Lillian Hoban, itself an adaptation of the classic O. Henry short story "The Gift of Magi," Henson and his production team created a one-hour Christmas special that premiered in Canada on CBC and aired the following year on the then-new HBO channel. Featuring several original songs written by frequent Henson collaborator Paul Williams, subsequent airings on ABC and Nickelodeon, along with home video releases, cemented the quirky special's popularity. Now we're going down to the river to take in the sights and sounds of Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas! And stick around for news and trailers, along with how we plan to spend our Christmas vacations. See you in 2026!   For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com    You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a

In the year 2000, the estate of children's author Theodor Geisel, better known by his pen name Dr. Seuss, sold the live-action movie rights to one of the writer's most beloved works. Decades earlier, an animated television special brought to life, via the voice of Boris Karloff and the talents of Chuck Jones, the cranky green curmudgeon known simply as The Grinch. With a plot to steal Christmas from the irrepressibly cheerful Whos of Whoville, the Grinch and his dog Max discover the true meaning of the holiday in this perennial holiday viewing favorite. After a rocky production, director Ron Howard reimagined the cartoon in living color with Jim Carrey donning yellow contact lenses and a dyed-green yak fur suit as The Grinch. The movie, despite mixed reviews, was box office gold, becoming the highest-grossing film of the year and taking home an Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. But will our hosts' hearts grow three sizes today? Or will we be the mean ones to say that the How the Grinch Stole Christmas ru

In 1984, producer Steven Spielberg, writer Chris Columbus, and director Joe Dante brought a new breed of cuddly creatures to the big screen, hoping to draw in fans of other odd critters like Yoda and E.T. The star of this film is the adorable "mogwai" (Chinese for "devil") named Gizmo, who propagates some very odd offspring that terrorize a small town on Christmas Eve. Released the same weekend as Ghostbusters, this horror-comedy was a hit with audiences, earning $212 million on an $11 million budget. The flick spawned a 1990 sequel, subtitled The New Batch, and a TV series, with a forthcoming third film, Secrets of the Mogwai, in the works. On the merchandising side, the Gizmo plush became an instant hit as one of the top toys of Christmas '84. And, of course, there were plenty of knock-offs, from Critters, to Munchies, to Ghoulies. Perhaps most notably, the film's violence and gore, packaged in family-friendly wrapping paper, led to the creation of a new MPAA rating category: PG-13. But forty-one years late

In 1946, director Frank Capra brought to the big screen the tale of George Bailey of Bedford Falls, in an inversion of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. Instead of teaching a miserly villain the error of his ways by showing him his life's low points, Capra revealed that a good man's good deeds prove one man's life has worth beyond measure. Starring Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, and Henry Travers as the angel Clarence Oddbody, this film initially received mixed reviews and was unsuccessful at the box office, despite the fact that it was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Without significant interest, the film's copyright in the U.S. expired in 1974 and it entered the public domain, allowing it to be broadcast without licensing or royalty fees. Broadcast at almost no cost by local television stations, the film grew to become an annual Christmas classic. Turning 80 next year, it is now regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made, but will inconsistent stre

  Fall back in time with Legends Podcast! All month long, we're talking about time travel, paradoxes, and if my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour... you're gonna see some serious shit! Forty years ago, director Robert Zemeckis and writer Bob Gale, partnering with Steven Spielberg as producer, introduced one of the most iconic time machines to ever grace the big screen: Doc Brown's DeLorean. But the road to bringing it to life was rocky - their pitch was rejected more than forty times, and when it was finally greenlit, it had a tiny budget, and their dream lead actor, Michael J. Fox, wasn't available. Once the cameras rolled, they quickly realized that their replacement lead, Eric Stoltz, wasn't working out. After a series of false starts, the movie ended up performing well with test audiences, and in a sign of confidence, the studio, Universal, ended up moving up the release date to July 3rd, leaving almost no time to finish the movie's special effects. Nevertheless, the result w